MOROCCO. 



573 



possession of two thirds of the existing foreign 

 trade, has been anxious to prevent any power 

 from gaining a commercial footing, which might 

 lead to political ascendancy, and thus weaken 

 her position at Gibraltar. The power most 

 distrusted by others has been France. She 

 was the first to establish her rule on the Medi- 

 terranean coast of Africa, and is the only land 

 neighbor of Morocco, and in recent years has 

 attempted to push the frontiers of her West- 

 African colonial possessions northward so as 

 to inclose Morocco on every side. Italy feels 

 the deepest interest in preventing France from 

 realizing her dreams of an African empire that 

 would in the natural course of events swallow 

 up Tripoli, the special object of Italian ambi- 

 tion. Austria, as a Mediterranean power, also 

 takes a watchful interest in Morocco, and is 

 encouraged by Germany, which has an eye on 

 the commercial possibilities of the country. 

 Spain is the only power that has definite 

 and acknowledged aspirations toward Morocco, 

 which she regards as her heritage, not only on 

 account of geographical proximity, but by rea- 

 son of a historical title based on the expulsion 

 of the .Moors from Spanish ground. 



In 1884 the intrigues of the Frenchman 

 De Chavagnac, who endeavored to stir up re- 

 bellion in Morocco, and secure a footing for 

 France in Riff, aided as they were by the 

 French minister in Tangier, Ordega, aroused 

 alarm in Madrid, and were regarded witli 

 anxiety in the foreign offices of other capi- 

 tals. The French Government manifested the 

 loyalty of its intentions by recalling M. Ordega 

 after he had attempted to extract a secret 

 treaty from the Sultan. Germany began to 

 cultivate relations with Morocco about 1876, 

 and gradually obtained such influence that, in 

 1885, she pressed for a revision of the commer- 

 cial treaties on the basis of a considerable re- 

 duction of the import and export duties, the 

 opening of the whole country to the free cir- 

 culation of foreigners, and the right of foreign- 

 ers to acquire lands and to engage in commer- 

 cial, mining, and railroad enterprises. The 

 proposals were rejected by the Snltan, but 

 they were renewed when England, and later 

 France, joined in the demands. The existing 

 treaty was made in 1856 by Sir John Drum- 

 mond Hay, who still represented Great Britain 

 at Tangier, and had undergone no alteration 

 except the addition of stipulations of minor 

 importance at the conclusion of the Spanish 

 war against the Moors in 1800 and changes in 

 the port dues made at the Madrid Convention 

 of 1880. France endeavored to remove the 

 obstacles to a new arrangement by sending 

 M. Ferraud as minister to Tangier with direc- 

 tions to reform the abuses connected with the 

 French consular service, of which the Snltan 

 had often complained. Neither the Sultan nor 

 his subjects could expect any advantage from 

 throwing ope"n the country to European enter- 

 prise, for it would not only hasten the day of 

 political annexation, but would raise the prices 



of the means of life to the natives, while the 

 profits arising from the development of the 

 resources of the country would all accrue to 

 strangers, who would eventually become the 

 owners of the land. 



Foreign Protection. The principal objection 

 of the Sultan to enlarging the commercial 

 privileges of foreigners was, that under the 

 existing arrangements the allegiance of a con- 

 siderable section of his subjects was alienated, 

 and that with closer commercial relations with 

 European countries he would be deprived of 

 his power over the rest. The legations have 

 the right in Morocco, as in several other Mo- 

 hammedan countries, of granting protection to 

 persons employed in any capacity in the con- 

 sular service, or acting as commercial agents 

 for firms belonging to the country giving pro- 

 tection. Snch proteges are no longer subject 

 to the jurisdiction of Moorish courts. All 

 complaints or suits against them, or that they 

 bring against others, are adjudicated in the 

 consular courts of the country of which they 

 become ywtm'-subjects. They not only escape 

 taxation and the exactions of native officials, 

 but are able to practice extortions themselves 

 by making false claims or accusations, which 

 will lead to imprisonment by order of the con- 

 suls if their blackmailing demands are not sat- 

 isfied. The incumbents of diplomatic and con- 

 sular posts in Morocco are often men who are 

 open to the temptations of the great bribes 

 that are offered for consular protection and 

 for the support of the proteges \n their dishon- 

 est schemes; and even those who are honor- 

 able, being usually ignorant of the language of 

 the country, are easily misled by dragomans 

 and interpreters. The Madrid Convention lim- 

 ited the number of proteges to two for each 

 commercial house ; yet some of the diplomatic 

 representatives issued fifteen and twenty pro- 

 tections to pretended agents of the same firm, 

 and the Moorish authorities allowed the others 

 to do the same for the sake of avoiding dis- 

 putes under the most-favored-nation clause. 

 So great is the fear of the Moorish Govern- 

 ment of foreign complications, leading possibly 

 to the annexation of the country, that the 

 authorities were ordered to obey implicitly all 

 foreigners or persons protected by foreigners. 

 For many years the French Government more 

 than the others laid itself open to blame for 

 protecting unworthy persons and supporting 

 fraudulent claims. Afterward the representa- 

 tives of the United States were the chief of- 

 fenders. A wealthy American citizen, Ion Per- 

 dicaris, with the assistance of his secretary, 

 Captain Rolleston, an Englishman, made it his 

 task to unearth consular abuses and defend the 

 victims of revenge or cupidity who were chained 

 in dungeons, and often allowed to die of starva- 

 tion, on account of debts that they had never 

 owed, or had already paid in full or in part. 

 There were more than 150 native Jews or 

 Moors who enjoyed the protection of the 

 United States flag, and who claimed debts 



